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Gigography

We used to maintain a proper gigography, until the site died on its arse some time around 2005. I'm just now rescuing all this stuff from a database dump I took at the time - we've played many gigs since then, & we'll try to piece together what was what...

A quick write-up with no photos - after our last outing at the Kibosh, where the sound was a little muddy, I'd decided that the next time I'd play it alone, for simplicity's sake. & the next time turned out to be this Pre-Election Special. The ongoing wall-to-wall ad-nauseam media coverage of the election may explain why the audience was a little sparser than usual, as well as the fact that there'd been an event the previous night in Morecambe.

This definitely goes down in Mirrorkill's history as one of the odder gigs to come our way. I hadn't been aware that the esteemed establishment Atticus Bookshop in Lancaster had held Music festival events for the last few years, so wasn't quite sure what to expect - certainly not a DJ set up at the end of the rather cosy premises belting out a very fine hour-long funk set. As soon as there were around 20 people in there dancing it was, essentially, at capacity - the proprietor, Tom, having cleared away tables & stock for the occasion.

When the DJ had finished & packed away I took to the "stage"/back of the shop, with no amplification, armed with the trusty 12-string (on the grounds that it would be twice as loud as the six string). & it was really nice. A bunch of friends, & a few curious passers by who popped in to see what was going on, were an attentive & appreciative audience; & the book lined walls made it feel not just intimate, but like playing in a living room. Tom appeared pleased, & asked if we'd be up for a return next year...

As previously noted, we love Kibosh Kabarett as a scrappy, anarchic expression of community. However, last time we played, back in april, we were able to avoid any consequences of its scrappy anarchy by virtue of being on first, getting there early & managing to get a sound check in. This time we weren't so lucky.

We may have failed to promote this event very assiduously (posted on Facebook, but not on the site), but it ended up being very well attended. This was the second Kibosh Kabarett, an event which bills itself as "art, satire, dissent", thereby suiting us down to the ground. As we were the first act on, & only doing three songs, we were fairly convinced that we'd be playing to two anarchists & a dog - but by the time we started playing the room had filled with perhaps fifty souls (none of whom were dogs, better luck next time).

Our friends Quisling Meet, with whom we have played before, have apparently had their eye on Gage Street's Collegian Working Men's Club as a venue for a while; a large function room, free to hire (deposit required) with a cheap bar, what more could a band want? They suggested that we try the space on for size. So we both did.

A year after being forced to blow out the festival, owing to an 'orrible injury. A year of discomfort & physiotherapy. A year of taking stock, rethinking, & buying new bits. A year of programming a drum machine in lunch breaks at work.